Fly With Me | ✓

18.2

Everleigh was pretty sure that she could get used to the life where she frequently attended concerts. The excitement that hung in the air was unmatched. A lot of it was Everleigh's. She didn't want to admit it out loud. Not some dorky school girl falling for a musician, nope.

But.

Well.

At least Maverick knew she existed. That was worth something. Right?

Maybe she'd spoken too soon. Because, lo and behold, ten minutes passed from when they were supposed to start. Then 20. Then 30.

Around the 40 minute mark, the music started. Everleigh was a little embarrassed she recognized it as I Liked Us Before The Lyrics Said So from the opening note. Scratch that. She could've died on the spot knowing she'd identified it that quickly. So fucking embarrassing.

After a stunning opening performance—get a grip, Everleigh—Maverick looked out to the crowd. An awkward smile on his lips. "Hey, New York! Sorry about being so late. Lights were acting up."

Everleigh and Stevie handed Brendon bills for payment. God damn.

"You win this round, Ellis!" Stevie yelled.

"Do you mean me or the baby?"

"Not your stepdaughter this time!" Everleigh said.

Though she hadn't yelled loud enough to garner any sort of notice, especially considering how loud his crowd was, Maverick didn't take long to spot them. Which, Stevie had been counting on. Security had let them in with the side but didn't seem too impressed by what they saw. Stevie, Brendon, and Everleigh thought it was funny and that's what mattered.

In big, bold letters, on a board stolen from the hotel lobby, Stevie had written, LATE AS ALWAYS.

Maverick let out a snort laugh on stage when he read Stevie's sign. Smile shining in the stage lights. "Yeah, that's fair." He looked away from the three of them and out to the crowd. "What do we think, new song for making you wait so long?"

Bold to think the crowd wouldn't be on their knees ready for a new song. The stadium erupted. Everleigh hadn't been his fan for long, but dropping an album like What I Never Said To You and then not discussing any new music for over a year was bound to get anyone antsy. (Ahem.) (MARS.) (Everleigh would be the first to preorder the new album and that was that on that.)

"Took you long enough, bitch!" Stevie yelled.

Maverick grinned at the crowd as the music started up. A little slow, but given Maverick's history with his songs, it was bound to get more upbeat after the first verse.

"Green light, perfect night / 'bout to tell you I love you," Maverick sang.

Everleigh's eyes widened. No fucking way.

"Cut me off before I could say it / made me think, shit / Did I read the room wrong? / Thought we were on the same page / Now I'm feeling strange / God, babe, please say I'm not wrong—"

Not fucking wrong. Not fucking wrong. Babe?

"Never been to Carnaby Street / fly around, keep me on my feet / Don't even know where in England you're from / London, Oxford or maybe Kingston—" God, the crowd screamed at that one. See? First names were better. Everleigh was right. The music had started picking up in the best way possible; a head bobbing song to say the least. "No, wait, that's me / you're the only one to use the G-O-V-T / Somehow it's better coming from you—"